Crispy Zucchini Fries with Marinara Sauce – Gluten-Free Appetizer

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If your zucchini plants have been overachieving, leaving you with a glut of veg that you aren’t sure how to use up – then check out these clever Zucchini Fries! They are the ideal appetizer and are gluten-free using almond or coconut flour. They also use other seasonings such as garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese. Serve with a homemade marinara dipping sauce.

Zucchini Fries

The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading all the way through for any tips or substitute suggestions, to ensure that you have any specialized ingredients and equipment required and that you understand the steps and timings involved.

If you are eating low-carb (and even if you’re not) you simply must make a batch of these zucchini fries!

They make a great appetizer for parties and gatherings, and are crispy and cheesy, and are sure to be a winner!

We’ve served them up with a homemade marinara sauce, but for speed, you can use a jar of your favorite sauce or dip instead.

Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe

While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients (and equipment) needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.

It does not include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, and pepper, as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen already. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.

• Fresh Produce – Zucchini (Courgette), Garlic, Basil, Parsley
• Dairy – Parmesan Cheese, Eggs
• Almond Flour – essentially, very finely ground almonds. Or you could use Coconut Flour if you prefer.
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Smoked Paprika
• Italian Seasoning – this recipe uses store-bought Italian Seasoning, but it is so easy to make your own herb mixes, especially if you already have a bunch of herbs and spices in your pantry already. Just mix equal measures of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, and thyme. You can also add a pinch of garlic granules or powder as well as red chili flakes if you like. Store in an airtight jar and use in recipes as required.
• Dried Oregano
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Tomato Paste – also known as Tomato Purée.
• Canned Crushed Tomatoes – crushed tomaotes are somewhere between tomato sauce and chopped tomatoes. In the UK look for Passata Rustica which is essentially the same thing as crushed tomatoes. It amazes me how even some simple ingredients are different the world over, and a problem I run into as an international blog!

Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, you can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).

More Recipes Using Zucchini

The hero ingredient in this dish is of course zucchini, so here are some more recipes using the same:

• Zucchini Dip
• Zucchini + Eggs
• Cheesy Courgette Crustless Mini Quiche Recipe

More Appetizer Recipes

Looking for more appetizers to make? Check these recipes out next:

• Quick & Easy White Bean Dip with Seasoned Pita Chips
• Classic Caprese Skewers with Balsamic Glaze – An Easy Party Appetizer
• Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges with Herbed Coconut Yogurt Dip

Recipe Tips

• Zucchini has a lot of natural moisture in it, so it can be challenging to get crispy results when oven-roasting it.
• For this reason, small, firm zucchini work best for this recipe.
• As a precaution, you may also want to remove excess seeds prior to dredging each piece in the seasoned almond or coconut flour.

How Do I Make Zucchini Fries?

Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.

Continue to Content

Crispy Zucchini Fries with Marinara Sauce

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Zucchini Fries are a delicious gluten-free appetizer, and taste so good dipped into a homemade marinara sauce!

Print

Ingredients

• ½ cup almond (or coconut) flour
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 2 small, firm zucchini, halved and cut into ¼-inch thick fries/strips

For the Marinara Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 (8-oz/225g) can crushed tomatoes
• ¼ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 and place a metal rack inside a large, rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
2. In a pie pan or shallow bowl, combine the almond flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Set aside.
3. In a second pie pan or shallow bowl, gently whisk together the eggs and water until frothy and set aside.
4. Add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese to a third bowl and set aside.
5. Dredge zucchini pieces in the seasoned almond flour before dipping into the egg mixture. Allow excess egg to drain off each piece before transferring to the bowl with the Parmesan cheese. Turn to evenly coat each piece of zucchini before transferring to the prepared rack. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired.
6. Place baking sheet into preheated oven and roast until golden and crisp, around 20-25 minutes. Flip the fries once halfway through the cooking time.
7. While the zucchini is roasting, combine olive oil, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently until the garlic is fragrant. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.
8. Reduce heat and add the crushed tomatoes and cook for 8-10 minutes until bubbly and slightly reduced. Remove from heat and stir in the fresh basil and parsley. Transfer to a serving dish and keep warm.
9. When ready, remove zucchini fries from the oven and serve immediately with herbed marinara sauce. Enjoy!
   
   
   
   

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 232Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 657mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 12g

This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.

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Make It A Full Meal

You’ve made the starter/appetizer, but what about the rest of the courses?

Here are additional recipes to make a full meal for a dinner party or special occasion:

• Soup: Italian Meatball Soup Recipe
• Salad: Classic Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing & Croutons
• Main Dish: Tuscan Pork Chops with White Beans and Crispy Sage
• Side Dish: Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Dressing & Pomegranate
• Beverage: Fresh & Delicious Grapefruit Margaritas
• Dessert: Fresh Summer Fruit Salad with Honey-Yogurt Dip

There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.

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